We'll Break You
by Mad Hatter 1393
Summary: This is what the Capitol did to Annie Cresta when they took her away whilst Finnick was still in the Arena. Please read and review. Any of the material you recognise belongs to Suzanne Collins. Enjoy! Rated T to be safe. I've changed my pen name which was previously HG-HPall.the.way
1. Chapter 1

(Authors Note: So basically, this is my first multi-chapter fic and, to be honest, I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. I'm just going to go along with it and hope that it turns out good. Please, please, please review. If I don't get any reviews with the first few chapters I just won't bother. I hope you guys enjoy and constructive criticism would be very helpful. This goes out to my friend Nawar: make an account. Enjoy!)

Finnick was still in the Arena when they took me away. I was watching every step he took on my television in Victor's Village. Even when he wasn't on camera I would stare at the T.V, making sure I didn't miss any second of him. I stopped looking after myself properly. My only focus was Finnick. I wanted to be sure he was still alive and, if he did die, I wanted to make sure I had seen him take his last breath.

My hair became greasy and unmanageable; my clothes had stains I didn't bother to clean; my face became sunken and my body was bone-thin. I had decided that I didn't matter. Only Finnick mattered.

And that's how the Peacekeepers found me.

They just barged through my front door, lifted me up and took me outside my house. Waiting outside was a hovercraft and I was forced inside it and then strapped on a cold, plastic chair. My arms, legs and torso were all tied to the chair. Someone also put some material around my mouth, so I wasn't able to speak. I tried to free myself from the chair, but it was no use. Even though I knew my attempts were hopeless, I still tried to free myself.

I'm still here now, struggling to get out of this chair.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my arm and I black out.

'_Annie, come on!' my friends call to me._

_They're splashing around in the water and I'm watching them whilst sitting on the soft sand. I always preferred looking at the sea than actually being in it. I love the way the sunlight shimmers through the waves. It's hard to capture the beauty of the sea when you're splashing inside it._

'_Annie, come on! Are you gonna come by yourself or do I have to drag you in here?' my best friend, Arianna, yells at me._

_I decide it would be wiser to go in willingly, so I walk on the low cliff and dive in. My friends all scream as my jump splashes them all. I smile at my achievement._

'_Oh, Annie, you're going to get it!' Arianna tells me._

_My friends all grab me by the legs and drag me underwater. I take a deep breath in because I know that we'll be under for a while._

_My friends keep dragging me further and further into the ocean, even when I'm fighting to keep my breath in. I look at them to see if anything's wrong, but I see that these people aren't my friends. _

_They're Peacekeepers._

_The Peacekeepers are dragging me to the bottom of the ocean and I've way past the point where it's impossible for me to hold my breath. When we've reached the bottom, the Peacekeepers strap me to a lone chair and swim around me. They circle me like underwater vultures._

'_What do you want from me?' I scream._

_I just spoke underwater. That's not possible. And I'm breathing. Underwater. That's not possible either._

_The Peacekeepers stop circling me. Every single one of them looks at me and they clap once, in unison._

_That's when I see Finnick swimming towards me._

_With an axe in his neck._

'_Finnick!' I scream._

'_Annie,' he whispers._

_Finnick takes the axe out of his neck and throws it at my head. It's the last thing I see before everything turns blood red. _


	2. Chapter 2

(Author's Note: So basically, I haven't updated in a while and I was in a writey mood today, so here is chapter 2! Enjoy.)

I open my eyes and see three Capitol people standing over me. They all smile widely at me widely, as if it would reassure me.

'Hello, Annie. I'm Sirena,' the woman with scarlet hair and lipstick to match tells me.

Then, the man who has tattooed blue, vain-like things all over his body introduces himself, 'I am Triston.'

'This is Fleur,' Sirena points at the woman with purple eyes and purple swirls around her face.

'Former Avox,' Triston whispers.

I look at the three of them and wonder why they are here. No, wait. The better question is: why am I here? And where exactly is here?

'We are here as your prep team. We're here to make you look all pretty again,' Sirena tells me, as if reading my mind.

I frown slightly. Why do I need to look pretty? I narrow my eyes at these people. Something is very wrong here.

'Where am I? And why do you need to make me look pretty?' I ask my voice more shaky than was intended.

Triston and Sirena worriedly glance at each other.

'You're in the Capitol. The answer to your second question is not one that I actually know. We think that it's for the interviews. There are only 8 tributes left,' Sirena informs.

I blink. This means that Finnick is still alive! But, who has died since I last saw the Games?

Before I can ask any more questions, Triston tells me to lie back on the bed so he, Sirena and Fleur can 'beautify' me.

They start by waxing my whole body. I let the hairs on my body grow over the last few days, so the waxing takes longer than it normally would. Then, they wash my hair. This takes some time because my hair has become disgustingly greasy. Fleur is in charge of my hair and she has to shampoo and condition it several times to get the grease out.

Triston does my nails and he takes a while to make them perfectly rounded because I kept biting them. Then, he makes my nails smooth with a four-sided nail file.

Sirena does my eyebrows and turns them into perfectly arched eyebrows from my previously sluggish ones. After that she smoothes them out with an eyebrow brush.

'There!' Sirena claps. 'You look lovely.'

Fleur and Triston nod in agreement.

'Now, Sirena and I will go fetch your stylist. You'll look drop-dead gorgeous for the interviews!' Triston says and then he curries off with Sirena to go get my stylist.

Suddenly, I wonder where my original prep team are. They are always the ones who get me ready for the interviews and things like that.

Someone taps my shoulder and I turn around to see Fleur holding a piece of paper saying: _They're lying about everything._

I frown at the writing, 'I don't understand.'

Fleur turns the paper around and quickly scribbles something and shows it to me.

_They're prettying you up for slaughter._

My eyes widen and I gasp. The last time I heard that was when I was in the Arena for the Hunger Games.

The room starts spinning and I hit the ground before I even know I was falling.

'_Annie, are you feeling nervous?' my stylist, Orianna, asks me._

_I nod, 'I'm terrified,' I manage to whisper._

_She gives me a small smile and puts my jacket on for me. The jacket is warm, but I know I won't sweat in it. Orianna explained it to me earlier. When it's cold the jacket will make me warm and when it's hot the jacket will make me cool._

_Orianna hugs me tightly and I'm dangerously on the verge of tears, but I have to hold them in. I can't cry now. When Orianna lets me go she gives me a strong smile and I go to the glass tube._

'_You can win this,' Orianna tells me._

_The glass tube closes and I'm going up. I desperately I could stay down with Orianna, but it's too late._

_I'm in the Arena._

_I look around and see all the other tributes standing in their places in a huge circle. In the centre of our circle is the cornucopia, filled with weapons which already have the careers names on them._

_Behind the cornucopia is a large forest with towering trees. Behind the forest is a mountain, I think, or some kind of cliff._

'_Hey, Annie.'_

_I look to my left and see the district 2 girl smiling an evil smile at me._

'_You look pretty today. If this was a competition of looks you might actually win. Your prep team have done you well. But, since it's not, they've just prettied you up for slaughter.'_

_The countdown has ended and the Games have begun. We both bolt to the cornucopia and the bloodbath begins._


	3. Chapter 3

'Annie Cresta, it is time for you to wake up,' a voice booms in my ears.

I obediently open my eyes, but quickly shut them again because it's too bright.

'Annie Cresta, open your eyes or we will force them open,' the voice says.

Once again, I try to open my eyes, but this time I open them slowly. Even though I open my eyes slowly and am blinking rapidly, I still need to protect them with my hands.

After awhile my eyes adjust to the unreasonably bright light, so I look around me. I'm in a square room that's made completely of white tiles. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. In the back, right corner of the room is a metal bed with white sheets and a single white pillow. On the opposite side of the room, on the floor, is a drain. I wonder why it's there.

The whiteness of the room is blinding and I realise that the light isn't the thing that burned my eyes. It was the brightness of the room.

Suddenly, I realise that I'm lying down in the middle of the room, on the cold tiled floor. I also notice that I'm wearing a white, sleeveless dress I've never seen before, which only goes up to the middle of my thigh. The dress doesn't cover my back and I feel exposed. I'm not wearing any socks or shoes, so my feet are touching the cold floor.

'Annie Cresta, stand up,' the voice orders.

Once again, I follow its orders and stand up. My head starts pounding and my ankles are so weak that I keep falling down. After a few attempts, I manage to stand on my feet.

I wait for more orders, but the voice doesn't speak, so I just stand there, wondering what to do.

Soon enough, two Peacekeepers enter the room through the barred door and come towards me. They grab my arms and take me out of the white room, which leads to a very long hallway made of the same white tiles as the room I was previously in. There must be many, many rooms because the hallway is so long. I wonder if anyone I know is here.

As we walk down the hall, I hear people whimpering or talking to themselves from the other side of the walls. I even heard one person laughing manically. Fear takes over my mind. What if I become like these people? Everyone calls me crazy already, what will they think if I turn out like these people on the other side of the wall? What would Finnick think?

Finnick.

Where are you?

'Stop crying, stupid girl,' one of the Peacekeepers orders and he shoves me forward a few steps.

I raise my head from its bent position and see that my vision is blurred from the tears. I didn't even know I was crying.

As we near the end of the hallway I start to hear screams. It's not the kind of scream you make when someone scares you. It's not the kind of scream you make when you see someone get murdered. It's the kind of scream you make when you're being hurt so badly that you wish you would die, but you that whoever's inflicting the pain won't be so kind as to kill you straight.

It's the kind of scream that makes your blood run cold.

A shiver runs through my body and both Peacekeepers shove me. I fall on my hands and knees and I shiver even more because the floor is so cold.

'Get up,' one of them orders.

I try to lift myself up, but I feel so weak I can barely lift my head.

'Hurry up,' the other one says, and shoves me again.

I fall flat on the floor and don't even try to get up. Eventually, the Peacekeepers decide to drag me to my feet and we carry on walking. I keep tripping over, but the Peacekeepers don't shove me again. They don't want a repeat of what just happened.

Finally, we stop walking and wait outside a metal door, which isn't barred. Suddenly, the door opens and two Peacekeepers come out holding a grown man by his arms. The man's arms and legs have burn marks all over them. His face is beaten up and bruised so badly that I can't make out any of his features. The two Peacekeepers have to drag him as they walk because he's too weak to move.

I watch as he's being dragged along the hallway until I feel the pressure leave from my right arm. The Peacekeeper who was holding my right arm is typing a long code to open the metal door. The other Peacekeeper has lessened his grip on my left arm and I seize this chance whilst I can.

I run.

I'm not letting them do to me what they did to that man. When you're afraid you run faster than you ever thought was possible. Even though I'm running the fastest I'll ever be able to run, one of the Peacekeepers still manages to pin me to the ground. He presses my face to the tiled floor. My heart pounds in my chest and I scream at him to let me go, but he only presses me to the floor harder.

'Finnick!' I scream. 'Finnick! Finnick!'

I scream and scream Finnicks name until a needle enters my arm.

'_Jake!' I scream. 'Jake!'_

'_He's not going to come. You saw him die. It's just you and me, princess,' the girl from district 2 tells me._

_I shake my head like a child. Yes, I saw him get blown up, but he has to be alive. He couldn't have died._

_She walks closer and closer to me, holding her whip tightly._

'_No one's coming for you. Nobody cares about you.'_

_My breathing becomes heavy. I'm going to die._

'_Alex!' I scream for my brother. 'Mom! Dad!'_

'_No one's coming for you. Nobody cares about you,' she repeats._

_She's about to hit me with her whip when she sees my shocked expression staring at something in the distance. She turns around and sees the wave. It's the biggest wave I've ever seen and it's coming right at us. We both look at each other and I see fear flash in her eyes, which reflect into my own. Then, we do the only thing we can do to survive._

_We run._

_I quickly turn around to check, but I see that no one has come to save me. Even though I know they heard my screams._


	4. Chapter 4

(Authors Note: So basically, I'm sorry about not updating in a while, but I've been quite busy (have I?). I'll be updating more often now because it's finally the summer holidays! I would really appreciate any torture methods for the story. Hope you enjoy the chapter! Oh, and sorry for any mistakes in my writing.)

I feel something being stuck on my arm. Another. And another. I open my eyes to see what is being stuck on my arms. The light aimed at my causes me to squint, but I still manage to see that neon pink circles have been stuck on my arm and they are all attached to very white, very long wires. On each of my legs there are also another five of the pink circles. I touch my face and feel another five. What are they for?

I realise that I'm sitting on a black chair with my torso tied to the back of the chair. Why do I need to be tied to the chair?

'Annie Cresta, would you be as kind as to stop touching the wires that are connected to your body,' the voice from before says.

I immediately let go of the wires and rest my hands on my thighs.

What now?

I wait, expectantly, for something to happen, to be told why I'm here, or where Finnick is. Nothing. I play with my hair and wonder whether I should untie myself and leave. If I do a Peacekeeper might pin me to the ground again, so that's a bad idea. I wonder if, maybe, I should be doing something. Are they waiting for my move?

'What do you want me to do now?' I ask.

Silence.

Maybe they've all gone for a break. Maybe they're thinking of a smart next move. I smile to myself. I will win this little game we're playing.

'Annie Cresta, do not speak unless asked a question.'

How am I supposed to make my next move? I decide to break the rules, just this once, and ask.

'How am I supposed to make my next move in the games if I can't speak unless asked a question? You'll obviously win this way!'

Silence. A very long silence. Has the game ended because I broke the rules?

'Annie Cresta, we are not playing a game.'

What? I blink in confusion. We are playing a game! I want to say this to voice but I can't because it hasn't asked me a question.

'Annie Cresta, I will now explain to you some things you may have been wondering,' the voice says. 'The room you were in earlier today is now your room. It has become your new home. Each day you will be brought to this room and you will be asked a series of questions. We expect you to answer them truthfully and, if you don't, you will pay the price. You may now ask me one question.'

'So, we aren't playing a game?'

There is a slight pause, and then the voice says, 'No, Annie Cresta, we are not playing a game. Someone else will now ask you questions. They will start off easy and then become harder. Try your best and do not lie.'

'What is your name?' a different voice asks.

'Annie Cresta.'

'How old are you?'

'22.'

'Where are you from?'

'District 4.'

The questions continue and I answer them with ease. Nothing out of the ordinary happens to me, so I start to relax. If this were a game I would surely win.

'Why have you been brought here?'

I don't say anything. I don't know why I've been brought here. I was told by Sirena and Triston that I was going to be interviewed, but Fleur had told me that they were lying. I have no idea what the voices want from me.

'Annie Cresta, I have asked you a question.'

I hesitate, and then say,' I don't know.'

A sharp shock of electricity shoots through my arms, legs and face. It doesn't last long but I still cry out in pain.

'Annie Cresta, you were told that if you lied then you would pay the price. This is the price.'

The shock of electricity comes back, but more powerful and the pain stays longer.

'Stop! Please, stop! Please!' I scream.

The pain becomes even more forceful and my body starts to shake.

'Please!' I scream again. 'Make it stop! Make it go away!'

The pain stops. Even so that doesn't stop the tears streaming down my face and my breathing is still very heavy.

'Annie Cresta, I will ask you one more time, why have you been brought here?'

I just shake my head, weakly. I don't know. I don't know!

'Annie Cresta, I have asked you a question. Answer me with words or you will pay the price.'

I hang my head low and breathe in, preparing myself for the pain.

'I don't know.'

The pain shoots through my whole body and I scream and scream and scream. My body shakes violently and I wonder how long I have left until the pain kills me. Maybe that's what I need. If I'm killed they can't hurt me anymore. They can't make me afraid, or make me even crazier.

'Just kill me!' I scream at the voice.

The pain stops and I curl myself into a ball. Are they going to kill me? I don't want to be killed. I want to live. I don't want to die!

'Annie Cresta, you are far too valuable for us to kill you.'

What does that mean?

'That is all for today. You will be taken back to your room now.'

The metal door opens and two Peacekeepers come in. They take off the pink circles from my body and untie me from the chair. They pull my arms to get me off the chair and I notice that my arms are red. I look at my legs and see that they are red too. When I try to stand on my legs I fall to the ground because the pain is too much to bear.

'Get up,' both the Peacekeepers order.

My legs hurt so badly that I can hardly move them. How do they expect me to get up?

'Just drag me,' I say, hoarsely.

They don't do anything for a moment, then I feel two hands on each of my arms and they drag me up to a standing position. We walk out of the room and down the long, white corridor. Well, I'm not really walking. I'm half walking and half being dragged. I said to myself that I wouldn't let them do to me what they did to that beaten up man, but here I am, almost as helpless as he was.

I raise my head from its hung position and see that there is a woman walking between two Peacekeepers coming my way. The woman looks very familiar, but I can't remember who she is. When I see her face, however, I open my mouth in shock. It's Fleur. The colour from my face drains and I stop walking to watch her as she walks past me. I watch her until the Peacekeepers pull me and we continue to walk.

This is my entire fault. Fleur wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. They're going to torture her only because she was helping me. I shake my head from these thoughts and concentrate on the white, tiled floor. I concentrate on the floor until we stop and I see that we have reached my little, white room. The Peacekeepers open the door, throw me in and close the door, leaving me sprawled out on the cold floor.

It hurts my head to think about how many times I've fallen down today, so I do the only thing I am capable of doing. I fall asleep.

_It's dark here. Pitch black. I can't see anything at all. I can't even see my own that is raised in front of my face. I have no idea where I am. Is it my little, white room, or my house in Victors Village? Is it the Arena? Either one of those would be bad._

_Suddenly, I see a pair of purple eyes staring at me. I can't see who the eyes belong to, but I hear the whisper come from the owner of the purple eyes._

'_It's all your fault.'_

_Then, I see a pair of sea-green eyes staring at me._

'_It's all your fault.'_

_Then, I see another pair of eyes, and another, and another. I see a whole crowd of eyes staring at me and their owners are all saying the same thing._

'_It's all your fault.'_


End file.
